


Clone Experiment 6682 (Captain Rex/Reader)

by skye_03



Series: Clone Experiment 6682 (Captain Rex/Reader) [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen, Original Character(s), Reader-Insert, References to Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), clone experiment reader, clone reader, clone trooper reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:35:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25513651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skye_03/pseuds/skye_03
Summary: Before the clone wars began, you were a security guard on Naboo, protecting the queen and later Senator Amidala. You liked your job and you were good at it. But one day, a few months after the beginning of the war, you were approached by Jedi Master and General Shaak Ti, asking if you wanted to participate in an experiment. She said that the experiment would determine if someone who was not clone could be just as good as a clone trooper.You accept her offer and are sent to train and later go to the front lines. You're a good fighter, but are you truly a soldier?
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Reader, Original Clone Trooper Character(s)/Original Clone Trooper Character(s)
Series: Clone Experiment 6682 (Captain Rex/Reader) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1848376
Comments: 5
Kudos: 30





	Clone Experiment 6682 (Captain Rex/Reader)

**Author's Note:**

> hey! welcome to the first part of my rex x reader series! important: this is a rex x FEMALE reader. sorry guys and nonbinary pals, i still love you guys. i don't want to drag on, so enjoy this first chapter! (also, this is my first time using ao3, so i'm still figuring out how it words) x.

You were seventeen when your uncle died in the Battle of Naboo. He was protecting Queen Amidala when the separatists invaded the planet. Your family lived in the countryside, so you all weren’t too affected by the invasion. At least not until your uncle died. He was your father’s brother. Your favorite uncle. Burying him was one of the hardest things you've ever done.

After his death, you vowed to be like him. Well, you had wanted to be like him for a while, but this just made you more certain. So when you were eighteen, you joined the Royal Naboo Security forces. You had been training hard for years, so you hoped that you could join.

“Name?”

You clasp your hands behind your back and say, “[y/n] [l/n].”

“[l/n], huh?” muses the officer in charge of enlisting. “Were you related to Khor [l/n]?”

“Yes sir,” you reply with a nod. “He was my uncle. He was a Palace Guard. I hope to be the same.”

He nods and writes something down. “He was a good man. Died a hero.”

You swallow and stare straight ahead, feeling tears prick at the corners of your eyelids. “He was. I... I miss him. A lot.”

The man glances back at you and gives you a small smile. “Welcome to the Security Forces, kid.”

You smile and salute him.

You pass your training with flying colors. Everyone seemed to know you, too. Your uncle was known to everyone, making you very well-liked in the academy. You join the Security Forces and help protect the queen. Queen Amidala was possibly the kindest woman you ever came to know. Since you were one of her bodyguards, you saw her often. As one of the only women guards, she always seemed to treat you a bit nicer. You didn’t mind, but you also didn’t appreciate it. _‘I’m no different than anyone else on the guard,’_ you think to yourself often when she gives you a soft smile or a warm look, _‘so why did she treat me differently?’_

As the years pass, tensions with the Separatists grows larger. The Republic seems on the verge of war with Separatists. In your free time, you wonder what would happen. ‘ _Would there be an intergalactic war? The Republic doesn’t have an army big enough to defeat the Separatists. What would they do?’_ you wonder. 

That was when the Republic announced its solution. A clone army. It’s a genius solution. They all have the same DNA and body build. It makes providing armor and medical supplies easy. From what little you know, they were all being built on the planet Kamino for nearly a decade without anyone knowing until Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi found out and reported it to the Republic. You don’t understand how they kept all of that secret, but it’s not like you care. Your side, the republic, might have a winning chance against the droid army. 

A few months pass since the beginning of the war, and Padmè is no longer the Queen but a senator. Since you were one of the highest-ranking officers, your duties changed. Your job is to now guard the senator at all times. You come to like your job. You finally get to leave Naboo and go to another planet. It’s usually Coruscant, but that’s better than nothing, you suppose. The first time you went, the senator kept poking fun at you for almost breaking attention when you all first stepped foot off of the ship.

“It’s just so big,” you told her that night after safely getting her to her quarters in the senate building. It was before the beginning of the Clone Wars. “I’ve been on Naboo my entire life. It’s just different.”

Senator Amidala just smiles and says, “I think you’ll like it.”

As the months pass, you come to realize that she was right. You don’t get to explore much, but it’s nice to look out the windows during your downtime and watch all of the crafts drive by and watch all of the shuttles fly out. There were so many different people, as well that you came to meet. Usually, you only interacted with those close to Senator Amidala, like Senator Organa and Senator Farr since they were friends with her. At the very beginning of the war, they opposed it. You couldn’t blame them. What was it about? Back then, you thought that you’d never want to be part of it.

But that all changed one day, almost four months after the First Battle of Geonosis. You were with Senator Amidala at the Senate Building. It had been a busy day. You had met up with General Skywalker and his Captain again before a meeting.

**~**

You walk next to the senator as the two of you walk down the halls of the Senate building. It’s just you with her. The building is well guarded with clones, but you always insist on walking with the Senator. A few months ago, there had been a couple of assassination attempt on her, and you’ve practically refused to leave her side since. There’s supposed to be a meeting soon, but before you can walk in, someone calls the senator’s name. She turns around and you both see General Skywalker walking towards the pair of you with his clone captain trailing behind him. You see the senator’s face brighten and a smile form on her face.

“You sure seem happy to see him, Senator,” you mutter to her, a coy smile on your lips.

She blushes and swats your arm, causing you to laugh.

“General Skywalker,” Padmé greets in a professional voice. “It’s good to see you.”

“You, too,” says Skywalker. He looks at me. “[y/n].”

“General.” You nod to him.

He smiles. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you not beside Pad-- Senator Amidala.”

You shrug and glance at Padmé. “Well, with tensions rising with the Separatists, you can never be too careful. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to her.” You look over at his clone next to him. You recall that his name is Rex and you nod to him in greeting, his helmet lowering to you in a nod of sorts.

After that, the general and the senator begin to exchange words. You don’t listen to them and instead glance around while shifting your weight from foot to foot. You’ve had this uneasy feeling all day and you can’t quite seem to place why. You had this feeling once before and it was the last time someone tried to assassinate Senator Amidala. You scan everyone in the hallway closely. None of them have weapons or bombs and none of them look suspicious.

Except for one person. A human woman with long dark hair has a jacket on. Her hands are tucked inside her jacket. She’s walking in your direction.

You don’t notice the woman pulling a blaster from her jacket until it’s almost too late. Emphasis on almost. She’s just about to walk past you when you see the tip of the blaster poking out from the front of her coat. She’s aimed at the senator.

“Hey!” you shout and kick her hand holding the blaster, making her pull the trigger. The general, having heard your cry, pulls Padmé out of the way just before the blast hits the wall where she just was. You kick the blaster out of her hand and it clatters to the ground next to the clone captain’s feet. She looks at you with wide green eyes before taking off running down the hallway. You race after her.

It’s gotten crowded since you had arrived, and you shove and push past people, not bothering to apologize. The woman is fast, but you are faster. Your feet pound the carpet as you rush down a set of stairs after her. You jump off the last few steps and fall into a roll before standing and looking around for her.

For a moment, you almost think that you had lost her. Then you see the side of her face and you grit your teeth. You quickly unlatch your hat from around your chin and take it off, giving your head a quick shake so your hair becomes loose in its tight bun. A few strands fall in your face and you aim. You toss your hat once in your hands before chucking it at the woman as a group of people split away from her and give you a clear shot. Perfect timing.

It hits her roughly in the back of the head and she cries out in pain. She loses her balance and you take this moment to run up and kick her in the back with the bottom of your foot. She falls forwards on her stomach, but before you can straddle her, she turns around and lifts her foot to kick you in the stomach and scramble away from you. You’re winded for a moment but you regain your senses.

Your blaster is at your side and you reach for it. But it’s suddenly knocked out of your hand as the woman with green eyes comes up next to you. She’s quick and you hadn’t noticed her.

The woman punches your nose and you hear something crack. Pain blossoms from the center of your face and a warm substance drips down from your nose. You jump to your feet and pull the woman’s arms forward to have her stomach meet your knee. She crumples to the ground and you sit on her back with your knees on either side of her. You pull her arms behind her back and she yelps in pain.

“Good try,” you tell her with venom dripping from your voice. “But you need to plan more if you try to assassinate the senator again. You were entirely too suspicious.”

Sudden footsteps come rushing your way and you spot a group of three shocktroopers running in your direction. You look down at the woman and stand up, bringing her with you. You’re mindful to keep her arms locked behind her.

“We can take it from here,” says one of the troopers, putting binders around her wrists.

You nod. “Thank you.”

“Arresting me will do nothing!” the woman yells. “There are more of us than you could ever imagine.”

“I’m sure there are,” you reply in a snarky tone, glaring at her.

She spits on the toe of your boot before she’s dragged away. You look down at the brown leather and the saliva with a faint look of disdain. You watch her go with a raised brow.

Your upper lip suddenly feels warm and you lick it. However, you immediately regret it as the strong taste of copper meets your tastebuds. You raise a hand to your nose and wipe the blood away. You think that it probably smears, but you pinch your nostrils together with your fingers. It hurts like hell. ‘ _My nose is probably broken_ ,’ you think and walk to the steps where the senator, the general, and the captain are waiting. You stoop down to pick your hat up before making your way up the stairs, hearing all of the claps and cheers. _‘I didn’t do anything. I just did my job. What did they do? Nothing.’_ This causes you to scowl. _‘I almost died, probably broke my nose, and they all just watched. Typical politicians.’_

Padmé instantly wraps you in a hug when you reach them. She whispers something to you, but you don’t seem to hear her. For some reason, your eyes are drawn to Captain Rex’s helmet. He seems to be staring at you, but you can’t see his eyes through his visor. But his helmet tilts to the side just slightly and your stomach twists.

Later, you’re healed up. Your nose has been placed in a split and the blood on your upper lip is cleaned up. It’s dark later when you’re getting a drink in the senator’s quarters. As always, you are helping guard, but she allowed you to take a break for a while. She tells you that you’ve been earned it.

In the polished metal of the cup, you catch a look of yourself. You look terrible. The area around your nose is swollen, there are some bruises around your nose and the bottoms of your eyes that are turning black quickly. You lightly touch your fingertips to the side of your nose, but hiss in pain and remove them. The area between your nose and lips is still slightly red from how much you bled.

“That was quite a punch you took.”

You turn on youe heel so quickly you’re shocked you didn’t pull a muscle. You had expected the mysterious voice to be an assassin or something, but you let out a breath when it’s not. It’s Captain Rex. At least, you're pretty sure it is. He’s not wearing his helmet, but he’s wearing the rest of his armor. You can tell it’s him by the one-sided pauldron.

“Sorry,” you mumble, words slightly slurred together and your voice nasally. “Didn’t know it was you.”

“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” the captain answers, a small smile on his lips.

You shrug and stare down at the countertop. “ 'S fine. ‘M just... on edge now. Have been all day.”

“I understand that.”

You glance up at him and swear you lose your breath. You know what you were expecting him to look like under the helmet. You’ve seen clones without their helmets before, but never General Skywalker’s captain. He seems far more attractive than any other clone you’ve ever seen. Maybe it’s the light. Maybe it’s how you’re both just staring at each other in complete silence. Or maybe it’s just all the drugs and painkillers in your system. You figure it’s the third option.

Despite the copious amount of drugs you’re on, you cannot deny that he’s handsome. He has bleached buzzed hair and a clean shave. You always are a sucker for clean shaves and blonds. You can make out a few scars on his face and can’t help the smile that slips onto your face. _‘I think I can get lost in his brown eyes,’_ you think.

“What?” asks the clone captain, no doubt noticing your staring. 

“Nothing,” you answer, tearing your eyes away from him and walking to get a drink. “Just think that you’re cute is all. You know, for a clone.”

“Oh.” You can hear the shock in his voice. “Well, we all look the same.”

“Maybe so,” you reply, taking a sip of a sharp and burning beverage. Thank the Maker the Senator has a few drinks in her room, you need one after the fiasco today. “Still doesn’t mean you’re not cute.” You turn and hop on the counter. With Senator Amidala giving you the evening off, you can be quite a bit more casual. “Why are you here, Captain?”

Rex comes to lean next to you on the counter and folds his arms over his chest armor. “The general wanted to come see Senator Amidala. He wanted to make sure she was okay.”

You frown and mutter into your cup, “I was the one who saved her.”

“What?” asks Rex, looking up at you from the corner of his eye.

“Nothin’,” you reply and set your cup down before bracing your hands on the edge of the counter. “So. You’re a captain, right? Serving under General Skywalker?” He nods. “What’s it like?”

“What’s what like?”

“The war,” you elaborate. “Being on the front lines, I mean. I’ve lived a relatively sheltered life. I don’t leave Naboo much, but I do go pretty much wherever the senator goes, but that’s still not much of anywhere. Must be pretty cool going from planet to planet all the time, right?”

Rex shrugs. “I guess it is pretty cool. It’s not like I get to appreciate much of the planets we go to, though. Usually, we’re getting shot at or blowing the place up.”

You chuckle. “Sounds pretty stressful.”

He shrugs once again. “Well, it’s literally what I was created to do.”

“Is it weird?” you wonder, looking at the man beside you. His side profile is wonderful. “Being a clone, I mean. It must be. I mean, there are hundreds of thousands of others that look like you.”

“I try not to think about it.” His words come out gruff, and so you shut up, afraid you’d crossed a line. But when he speaks next, his voice is lighter. More casual. “So, you’ve always lived on Naboo?”

“Yep,” you answer with a nod. “My family’s been on the same plot of land for generations. We’ve got a big garden that’s successful every year, but we’re not farmers. My mom is a gardener and she sells all of the fruits and veggies that we grow. My dad is a sculptor and an artist, one of the best.”

“Sounds nice,” Rex says.

“It was.” You sigh happily for a moment, a small smile crossing your face. “But when my uncle died in the Invasion of Naboo, I decided to follow in his footsteps and be a security guard like he was. And I did it. Obviously.” You breathe out an awkward laugh.

“You’re good at it, too.”

“Pardon?”

Rex turns to face you. “You’re good at it. You’re a good security guard. The way that you took out that assassin was impressive.”

You blush and your heart rate picks up. “Thank you. We’re usually trained in hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship, and how to respond to assassination attempts. Seems like we’ve had quite a few of those recently.”

“Well, she is a senator.”

You laugh and nod. “Yeah, that’s true.”

The pair of you lapse back into silence for a few minutes. It’s mildly uncomfortable. One clone captain and a Naboo security guard alone in a room together. But then Rex looks at you and asks, “How’s your nose?”

You shrug your shoulders. “Kinda hurts. I’ve got some nasty bruises.”

Rex reaches his gloved hand up and before you can react, he places his hand on your cheek. Instinctively, your eyes flutter shut and your lips part just slightly. Something stirs deep inside your tummy and your heart stutters. You try not to lean into his hand but ultimately fail as his thumb brushes under the bruises under your eye. Then he gently presses his thumb on your broken nose and you jump away at the sudden pain. You hop off the counter and back away a few paces.

“Ow!” you exclaim, covering your nose with your hands. “I just told you it hurts!”

Rex’s cheeks are stained red and he holds out his hands. “I--I’m sorry. I didn’t know it hurt that badly!”

Suddenly you smile and the look of confusion on Rex’s face is incredible. You give an unceremonious snort of laughter and drop your hands from your nose. Rex laughs nervously as you continue in your hysterical laughter.

“S--sorry,” you apologize, wiping a tear from the corner of your eye. “I’m just on some weird painkillers.”

Rex gives you a half-smile and nods. “Yeah.” He laughs awkwardly and your smile widens. He mirrors your expression.

“I can see you two are getting along.”

You jump at the sudden voice and turn your head in its direction. You’ve been snuck up on far too many times today. It’s starting to get annoying. Luckily, it’s not an assassin. It’s just General Skywalker and he’s smiling at you and Rex. Your cheeks suddenly become warm.

“Come on, Rex, let’s go,” says the general and makes his way towards the door.

Rex picks his helmet up from the counter and flashes you a smile before slipping it on. He gives you a nod and your heart sinks when you realize that you can’t look into his brown eyes anymore.

“It was nice talking to you, Captain,” you tell him and give him a nod.

He returns the nod and says, “You, too... uh, I didn’t get your name.”

“[y/n],” you reply, a shy smile forming on your lips.

“[y/n].” You’re not sure if it’s your imagination, but you swear that you can hear a smile in his tone. “Hopefully, we’ll see each other again.”

“Maybe,” you muse, leaning on the counter and placing your cheek in your hand. “Bye, Captain,” you say and wiggle your fingers in a wave.

And with that, Rex turns around and follows the general out of the room. But as they walk out, you catch a snippet of their conversation.

“—seem to like her,” Skywalker says. Is he smirking?

“She’s... interesting, Sir,” Rex replies and with that, the door closes behind them. 

You smile and bite your bottom lip. _‘Interesting,’_ you think with a smile. _‘I’m interesting to the clone captain. He thinks I’m interesting.’_

**~**

A few weeks later, you are called to Senator Amidala’s office on Naboo. You’d just returned from another senate meeting the night before, and you all had arrived late at night. Your feet begin to drag and you cover your mouth with your fist as you walk down the long halls. You can’t wait for your weekend off. “I can finally go visit my mom,” you mumble to yourself in the empty halls, “see my dad, play with my younger siblings.”

When you reach the Senator’s office, you knock a few times and hear her reply, “Come in,” and step inside, keeping your posture perfect. “Senator Amidala. You wanted to see me?” But you stop short because it’s not just Senator Amidala in the office. With her is a Togruta in long robes and long lekku. You know exactly who she is.

“[y/n],” says Padmé. “This is Jedi Master Shaak Ti. She oversees the clones on Kamino.”

You nod and bow slightly. “It’s an honor to meet you, General.”

The general smiles. “The pleasure is all mine, [y/n] [l/n]. But I should say how honored I am to meet you.”

You raise a brow. “I’m sorry?”

“You are quite a talented guard,” she says. Her voice is so calm and soothing, reminding you of your mother. “From what I have been told, you graduated at the top of your class in the academy here on Naboo and quickly climbed the ranks.”

You nod a seat in the chair directly across from hers. “I...I suppose I did. I haven’t had time to think about it, I guess. I’ve just been so busy protecting the senator recently.”

“Speaking of,” says the general. “I heard how you caught the most recent assassin that tried to kill Senator Amidala. I have to say, I was highly impressed. You knocked her over with your hat, [y/n]. That is no easy feat.”

Your face flushes. You'd be lying if you said that you weren’t proud of that. “Thank you, but with all due respect, General, why are you here?”

Shaak Ti smiles at you. “It seems like you don’t like to beat around the bush. You are aware of the clones’ involvement in the war against the Separatists, yes?”

You nod. ‘ _Rex_.’ “Yes, ma’am, I am. What does this have to do with me, though?”

“We have been wondering--we meaning me, the Kamoians, and the chancellor--have only just recently begun to wonder how a non-clone would be in the clone army. They would have to be someone fit, someone smart. Someone with a good, steady hand, someone just the same size as the clones. Someone with the same blood type, the same allergies. And it seems that the closest fit we have is you, [y/n] [l/n].”

Your [e/c] eyes widen in shock and your mouth drops open for a moment. “I--I’m sorry, what? General, are you asking me to be in the clone army?”

Shaak Ti nods in confirmation. “Yes, I am. Now, I understand how this is shocking, and granted we do not know the outcome, but you are our best fit, [y/n]. You are almost the same size as the clones, meaning armor will not be a problem. With no allergies, we don’t have to worry about sending the wrong medicine. And you are very strong and very smart, [y/n]. The senator was just telling me how you come up with strategies for things all the time.”

You look at Padmé. You’d almost forgotten she was in the room. She gives you a smile and a nod. You look away and blink down at your hands that are tightly clasped in your lap. “I do strategize a lot...”

“So, [y/n] [l/n],” asks Shaak Ti and you can hear the smile in her voice. “Do you want to train to be a clone trooper?”

Do you? You don’t know. You haven’t been a fan of the war. What is it about? Why is everyone fighting? You don’t know if you want to be a part of it. You don’t know if the Senator will be safe without you. You’ve never been on a battlefield, either. You have never witnessed war. What is it like? Then you think of Rex. He’s a clone trooper. He’s a captain, too. Would you get to see more of him? He thinks you’re interesting. You think he’s interesting as well.

You chew on your lower lip and continue to stare down at your hands. “Can... can I have a few days to think this over?”

Shaak Ti nods and her voice is so kind. “Yes, of course. I know this is a huge decision, so take all the time you need.”

“Thank you, General.” You stand and bow to her before looking at Senator Amidala. “Can I go, ma’am?”

She nods at you. “Yes. You can go home for this weekend, now, if you’d like.”

“Really?” you ask and raise a brow.

She smiles and gives you another nod. “Yes. You’ve been very helpful these past few weeks, I think you deserve a longer break.”

You smile at her. “Thank you, ma’am.” You turn to the door but before you leave, you look back at Shaak Ti. “I’ll tell you my decision when I return, General.”

“Very well.” And with that you leave and head back home, feeling both excited and full of dread.

**~**

The first person to greet you the moment you get home and park your speeder bike is your little sister, Lena. She gasps from the front porch and runs over to you. You kneel as she launches herself in your arms and you pick her up and spin her around while she squeals in joy.

“[y/n]!” she exclaims, a broad smile on her face. “You’re back!”

“Yeah,” you reply with a smile of your own. “You’ve gotten so big, little sister.”

She nods quickly, her blonde hair falling in her face. “Yeah, I did! Oh, I gotta tell you something baby Issa can do! She can crawl now!”

Your eyes widen. "Really? Wow, she must be getting big, huh?"

Lena nods. "Yeah, she is. Can you play with me?"

You chuckle. "Lena, I just got back. Can I go say hello to everyone first?"

Your little sister's shoulders droop, but she nods, saying, "Yeah, I guess so."

"Thank you." You smile and kiss her forehead before putting her down. She runs back up to the porch as you grab your couple of bags and throw them over your shoulder. You walk up the stone steps and go inside. You can't help but smile at the familiar scent of herbs and fruits. You can faintly hear the hammering of your father, probably working on another sculpture. Memories flood back to your mind. You hadn't realized you missed being home this much until now.

“[y/n]!”

Your eyes fall on your mother, a short woman with blonde hair tied up in a bun and kind brown eyes. Her face has some wrinkles, but she’s not old. She smiles and the corners of her eyes crinkle with happiness.

You walk forward and hug her. She’s a head smaller than you, so you have to lean down just slightly. Her hug is warm and safe and secure and she kisses your cheek when you pull away. She smiles at you.

“You’re back early,” she says, brushing her fingers under your eyes. “And you have some bruises. What happened?”

You blush and say, “Can we talk about it later?”

“Why?”

“Because father will want to hear as well.”

**~**

Later that night, you sit with your family at the dinner table. You've already eaten and Lena had begun to beg to explain exactly what happened on Coruscant a few weeks ago. It had been all over the news, not that it surprised you.

“Well,” you begin, tracing a finger over the wooden table and resting your cheek in your hand. “Nothing else interesting happened than what the news told you. I kicked the blaster out of the assassin’s hand and ran after her. It wasn’t much trouble catching her, but she did punch me in the nose real good.” You gently touch the side of your nose. It’s fully healed, though still tender to the touch. “I’m fine though,” you quickly add as your father’s brows crease in concern. “I’m fine.”

“That’s good to hear,” he says, the concern fading from his [e/c] eyes. “But there is something more that you’re not telling us.”

You immediately stop your tracing finger and pale. Shaak Ti. The experiment. Becoming a clone trooper. All of these thoughts come rushing back to your head so quickly you begin to feel dizzy. “Yes. There is something else.” You clear your throat and sit up straight in your chair. You look at everyone sitting at the table. Your mother, with her kind brown eyes and shining blonde hair. Your father with his cracked and callused hands. Your younger brother, Var, with his brown eyes and freckles splayed across his face. He’s only a few years younger than you, but he’s staying home and taking a year off from school. Something about the stress getting to him. Mother and father needed help at home, anyway. Your little sister, Lena, is swinging her legs and looking at you with a tilt of her head. Your youngest sister, baby Issa, is sitting in her highchair but not looking at you. She is just barely a year old.

“[y/n]?”

“Jedi Master Shaak Ti came to me earlier today,” you blurt out suddenly. The air stills. “She approached me and complimented me on my hard work for serving Naboo and protecting the senator. She told me that she was impressed with my work and said that they are thinking about doing an experiment.” You take a deep breath. “She said that they were wondering how a non-clone would do in the clone ranks.”

“That is a good question,” says Var, who is studying something in science and math. You don’t know. The two of you were never very close. “What would happen?”

“She asked if I would be the test subject in the experiment,” you explain. The entire room becomes quiet and you stare down at your hands that are tightly clasped in your lap. You hear Issa coo and look up to see her chewing on her fingers. You smile softly.

“Oh.” It’s your father that speaks next, his voice soft. You don’t know if you've ever heard him speak softly before. “That’s... hard to take in.”

“What did you tell her?” Var wonders.

“I told her that I would think about it,” you answer. “And I don’t know what I will tell her. This is a difficult decision for me to make.”

“Well, whatever you choose,” says your mother, and you know she might cry. You can hear the strain, the tightness in her voice. “We will support you. If you choose to go to the front lines or stay here, it is your choice.”

You smile and nod. “Thank you, mother.” You reach over the table to squeeze her hand and she squeezes back.

**~**

At night, when the sun is long gone under the horizon, you're in your old bedroom. It’s no different than last time you were here several months ago except for the fact that Lena is sharing it with you. Your bed is pushed up against one side of the room and Lena’s is on the other. She is sitting on her bed, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and watching you.

You are on the floor with your forearms on the ground, the rest of your body in a push-up position. Planking is one of the only ways you're able to think. You're not sure why, but it just is. Your eyes are closed as thoughts race around in your mind. Possibilities. Pros and cons.

If you accept General Ti’s offer, you will be shipped off to Kamino and train with the clones. You'll be an outsider since you're not a clone. You might not make any friends. But you will be placed in a squad likely of three or four other troopers. They’ll probably like you. But what if they don’t? What if they do? You know you're smart as well as likable. You'll make friends. Brothers, maybe. So what if you're just a girl from Naboo? You can be a clone if you want to be.

If you pass all of the training or whatever they have and graduate with your squad, you will be shipped off to the front lines. You might die out there. You probably will die out there. Death does not scare you, so you don’t think that will be a problem. You wonder who you'll be shipped out to. You only know of a couple of divisions. You know about the 212th, which is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi’s division. You also know about the 501st. General Skywalker. Rex. Maybe you'll see him again. That would be nice.

Maybe you'll be in the same division your brother, Norsh, is in. Maker, you haven’t heard from your brother in forever. He is a Jedi Padawan, has been ever since he was just about baby Issa’s age. You never see him. He’s always too busy at the temple. Which is fair, he is to be a Jedi. And from what you know, he’s with his master, Vewen. You remember when he was just a baby, always so happy and smiling. You wonder how serving as a commander is. He would be with the 441st legion. You smile to yourself. Maybe the universe would have you serve with your brother. You'd like that. A lot, actually.

“[y/n].” Lena’s voice breaks you from your thoughts. You open your eyes and look at her. Her eyes are drooping and she keeps slumping over and jolting up. “Are you almost done? I wanna sleep.” She rubs tiredly at her eyes with her knuckles. Her hair is in a couple of braids that you did after she had a bath.

You get up from your planking position and stand. “Yeah, I’m done. Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

She gets under the covers and holds the doll you got the first time you went to Coruscant tightly to her chest. “Tell me a story?”

You smile at her and shake your head. “Not tonight, little one. You need to rest.” You think and then say, “Maybe I’ll tell you stories when I become a clone trooper.”

She looks up at you with wide eyes. “So you’ve made your decision?”

You nod. “I have.” You kiss her forehead. “I will become a clone trooper and serve in the Grand Army of the Republic.”

Lena yawns and rolls over onto her side, her back facing the wall. “That’s great, sissy. Goodnight.”

With a chuckle, you kiss her cheek and whisper something breathlessly along her skin. Then you blow the candle out and get into your old bed, pushing one arm under the pillow and facing your sister. Her eyes are closed and she’s already asleep.

You've made your mind up. You will serve in the GAR and you will help bring peace to the galaxy.


End file.
